Method of converting matte.



No. 782,124. PATENTED FEB. 7, 1905. 0. S. GARRBTSON.

METHOD OF CONVERTING MATTE.

APPLIOATION FILED JAN.19. 1901.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

PATENTED FEB. 7, 1905.

0. S. GARRETSONL METHOD OF CONVERTING MATTE.

APPLICATION FILED JANJB. 1901.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

i Ill 2 E mm M V i l l i y I I PATENT Patented February 7, 1905.

FFICEe OLIVER S. GARRETSON, OF BUFFALO, NE'W YORK, ASSIGNOR TO GAR- RETSON FURNACE COMPANY, OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF IV EST VIRGINIA.

METHOD OF CONVERTING MATTE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 782,124, dated February 7, 1905.

Application filed January 19, 1901. Serial No. 48,884. I

To (Ll/- 7/71/0112, ffi 711/14 (OILOBT/L.

Be it known that I, OLIVER S. GAnnn'rsoN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Buffalo, in the county of Erie and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Methods of Converting Matte, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a metallurgical operation which involves the treatment of matte by the converting or bessemerizing process in a blast-furnace underneath a column of ore and flux or silicious material. Operations of this character are described and claimed in Letters Patent of the United States, Nos. 596,991 and 596,992, granted to me January 11, 1898. In the process of Patent No. 596,991 the matte is converted or bessemerized in the same furnace in which it is produced from the ore by smelting. In the process of Patent No. 596,992 the matte is converted or bessemcrized in a furnace which is separate from the smelting-furnace. Nhen rich mattes are produced in this manner, the slag is correspondingly rich and carries ofi' values which should be recovered in order to render the process economical and profitable.

The object of this invention is to conduct this treatment in such manner that rich matte of a uniform grade can be produced continuously in the converting-furnace and the resulting slag which is correspondingly rich can be effectually cleaned and the values contained therein recovered by a simple and economical sumed in converting, furnishes the smeltingmethod.

In the accompanying drawings, consisting of two sheets, Figure 1 is a sectional top plan view of an apparatus for practicing my invention. Fig. 2 is a fragmentary vertical section through the blast-furnace and settlingwell in line 2 2, Fig. 1, on an enlarged scale. Fig. 3 is a vertical cross-section through the blast-furnace in line 3 3, Fig. 2. Fig. L is a fragmentary vertical section through the settlingwell and reverberatory forehearth in line l l, Fig. 1, on an enlarged scale. Fig. 5 is a front elevation of a vertically-adjustable slag spout. Fig. 6 is a vertical section in line 6 6,

Fig. Fig. 7 is a horizontal section in line '7 7, Fig. 5.

Like letters of reference refer to like parts in the several figures.

A represents an upright converting or bessemerizing blast-furnace in which matte is produced by smelting suitable ores and converted or bessemerized to the desired degree of richness or concentration. This furnace has its body composed,preferably, of a water-jacketed column or stack of cylindrical, prismatic, or other suitable form and of any suitable construction. The furnace is preferably provided above its bottom 7; with a lower row of converting or bessemerizing twyers O and an upper row ofsmelting-tw yers D. The convertingtwyers O are arranged at such a height above the furnace-bottom 7/ that they deliver the blast into the zone occupied by the molten matte below the slag-level. This converting-blast is injected under a sufficiently high pressure to enable the blast to penetrate the molten matte, which pressure may range from four to live pounds or more per square inch. The upper row of smelting-twyers is arranged at the proper height above the bottom to deliver the blast for smelting the ore and flux, and the pressure of this blast is the usual low pressure for smelting, ranging from eight to sixteen ounces per square inch or more.

In some cases the smeltiug-twyers may be omitted and the convertingblast made so large in volume that its excess, which is not conblast. In that case the excess of the blast injected into the matte becomes heated in passing upwardly through the molten matte and reaches the lower portion of the column of ore and flux in a highLv-heated condition, which greatly increases the efficiency of the blast in smelting. I urthermore,the heated blast rising up through the molten matte is linely subdivided and more or less evenly distributed by passing through the matte and is thereby sup plied to the lower portion of this column of ore and flux in a more evenly-distributcd condition than when the smelting-blast is injected directly from the smelting-twyers, whereby the efficiency of the blast in smelting is further increased.

E represents a tap-hole or spout arranged at one end of the furnace, at the bottom thereof, for drawing off the matteor the metallic copper or alloy if the concentration is carried on to the point at which metal is precipitated. F F F represent slag-spouts arranged at the opposite end of the furnace. These spouts are arranged at different levels, so that the height of the layer of matte can be regulated by opening a higher or lower slag-spout. WVhen a higher spout is used, the lower spout is closed with fire-clay. By raising or lowering the slag-level the height of the layer of matte can be correspondingly raised or lowered, as may be necessary for producing the desired degree of conversion and the desired heating of the excess blast which is used for smelting after having passed through the layer of matte. The height of the layer of matte may be regulated in any other suitable wayfor instance, by employing a slag-spout which is so secured to the furnace that the spout can be vertically adjusted on the furnace, as represented in Figs. 5, 6, and 7. As shown in these figures, the slag-spout is clamped against the side of the furnace by bolts f and upright plates Upon loosening these bolts the spout can be raised or lowered. The opening it in the side of the furnace against which this slag-spout is fitted is made so high that the spout registers with the same in either of its positions.

The top of the furnace is constructed in any suitable or well-known manner for introducing the ore and fiux or silicious material and for directing the escape of the gases.

The converting-furnace is filled with a column of ore and flux or silicious material in lumps. Quartz, diorite, or other mineral containing a large percentage of silica may be used for this purpose. The weight of this column keeps the lower portion of the column pressed down into the layer of matte, so that the iron oXid which is formed in the matte by the oxidizing-blast can come in contact with the silica and combine with the same to a silicate which forms a liquid slag. The latter rises to the surface and escapes through the slag-spout, while the concentrated matte or the molten metal, as the case may be, escapes or is drawn off through the tap-hole E.

I represents a settling-well which receives the slag from the slag-spout of the furnace. This well is provided at convenient points with a slag-spout 2', through which the slag escapes from the well, and with a tap-hole K at the bottom of the well, through which the matte which may settle in the well is drawn ofi from time to time.

L represents a reverberatory forehearth or furnace which receives the slag from the settling-well and in which the slag is treated for recovering the matte and other values which are contained in the slag. A spoutM is preferably employed for conducting the slag from the slag-spout z of the settling-well to the reverberatory forehearth. The latter is of the usual construction, having a hearth N, a fireplace N, and a chimney L O is a door arranged at the front of the furnace; 0', an opening through which the slagspout M enters; 0 a tap-hole for drawing off the matte, and O a slag notch or spout.

The bottom or hearth of the forehearth is arranged at a lower level than the slag-spout of the settling-well, so that the slag flows down from the latter to the forehearth and the matte formed in the latter is retained therein and does not flow back into the furnace. The foreheath is supplied with ore which is rich in sulfur and in such quantities from time to time as may be necessary to cause the sulfur to combine readily with the metallic values contained in the slag. The values are in this manner intercepted and incorporated in a poor matte, which is drawn off from time to time through the tap-hole O and concentrated in the converting-furnace. The high heat which is maintained in the reverberatory forehearth keeps the slag in a freely-flowing "condition and promotes the separation of the heavy particles of metal and matte from the lighter worthless slag. The latter is drawn off through the slag-notch O. The forehearth .is preferably provided with an opening p in its roof for introducing the ore; but the latter may be introduced in any other suitable manner.

This method of treating the matte and slag is very simple and comparatively inexpensive. It excludes the matte from the forehearth and permits the production of a uniformly rich matte in the converting-furnace and effectually saves the values which are carried off by the slag from the furnace, thereby rendering the process economical and profitable.

The reverberatory forehearth is also available for smelting concentrates, fines, flue-dust, and other material which is not suitable for smelting in the blast-furnace. The reverberatory forehearth furthermore permits of the use of light fuel of various kindsfor instance, woodfor heating the slag.

The main object of the settling-well is to allow the slag to be separated from the matte which escapes with the slag from the furnace. This is particularly desirable when the furnace is so operated as to produce matte and the concentration is not carried to the point of producing metallic copper. When the lastmentioned practice is followed, very little, if any, matte escapes with the slag from the furnace, and the settling-well may be omitted and the slag conducted directly from the furnace to the reverberatory forehearth.

IIO

I claim as my invention 1. The herein-described method of converting matte which consists in converting matte by a blast underneath a column of material containing a flux, removing the slag, allowing the matte accompanying the slag to settle, removing the super-incumbent slag, practically free from matte, exposing the slag to heat which sweeps over the surface of the slag and keeps the slag in a freely-flowing condition, and intermittently adding sulfur-bearing material to the slag for producing a low-grade matte which combines with any values contained in the slag, substantially as set forth.

2. The herein-described method of converting matte which consists in converting matte by a blast underneath a column of material containing a flux, regulating the height of the layer of matte above the converting-blast, removing the slag, allowing the matte accompanying the slag to settle, removing the superincumbent slag, practically free from matte, heating the slag by a flame which sweeps over the surface of the slag and keeps the same in a freely-flowing condition, and intermittently adding sulfur-bearing material to the slag for producing a low-grade matte which combines with any values contained in the slag, substantially as set forth.

3. The herein-described method of converting matte which consists in converting matte by a blast in the presence of flux or silicious material, and regulating the height of the layer of matte above the blast in accordance with the desired degree of conversion, substantially as set forth.

4. The herein-described method of converting matte which consists in converting matte by a blast underneath a column of material containing a flux, and regulating the height of the layer of matte above the blast for increasing or reducing the height of the layer of matte through which the blast passes in accordance with the desired degree of conversion, substantially as set forth.

5. The herein-described method of simultaneously smelting and converting matte which consists in regulating the height of the layer of matte above the blast in accordance with the desired degree of conversion, injecting into the layer of matte an oxidizing-blast in excess of that which is consumed in converting, heating the excess oxidizing-blast by causing it to pass through the molten matte, and utilizing said heated excess blast above the layer of matte in smelting, substantially as set forth.

Witness my hand this 11th day of January,

OLIVER S. GARRETSON. 'itnesses:

JNo. J. BoNxeR, C. B. HORNBECK. 

